Liquid detergent composition

ABSTRACT

A LIQUID DETERGENT COMPOSITION COMPRISING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF (A) 0.1-80% BY WEIGHT OF A COMPOUND OF THE FORMULA   (4-R,(ME-O3S-)PHENYL)-O-((CH2)2-O)N-SO3-ME   WHEREIN R IS AN ALKYL OF 8-22C, ME IS AN ALKALI METAL AND 40$N$1, (B) 1.0-60.0% BY WEIGHT OF A WATER SOLUBBLE INORGANIC COMPOUND.

AU 165 EX United States Patent Int. Cl. Cl1d 1/24, 7/54 US. Cl. 25295 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A liquid detergent composition comprising an aqueous solution of (A) 0.180% by Weight of a compound of the formula 0 (CHzCHzO)n I B SOaMe wherein R is an alkyl of 8-22C, Me is an alkali metal and Win51, and (B) 1.0-60.0% by weight of a water soluble inorganic compound.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present invention relates to a liquid detergent composition. More particularly, this invention relates to a stable liquid detergent composition comprising surfactants containing large quantities of inorganic compounds, in whch the components of the detergent do not separate during long storage even under cold conditions.

Description of the prior art In detergent compositions for cleaning hard surfaces, inorganic compounds such as sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate and potassium pyrophosphate have been used and surfactants have been added to the detergent compositions for improving their cleaning effect. Especially in household detergents, it is preferable to produce a detergent composition in the form of a concentrated solution containing such inorganic compounds, because the concentrated composition may be diluted by a user to the desired concentration at the time of use. However, since a surfactant will be generally salted out from a concentrated solution containing inorganic compounds, it cannot be included therein in a stable condition. Therefore,

Patented Apr. 17, 1973 a solubilizer or a so-called hydrotrope such as sodium p-toluenesulfonate, generally has been incorporated in such compositions, but it is uneconomical to use a large quantity of a solubilizer which has no detergency itself. Accordingly, it has been desired to provide a surfactant which will be compatible with the other detergent components and which will not be salted out even from a concentrated solution containing inorganic compounds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a detergent composition prepared by dissolving in water (A) a compound of the following general Formula 1:

SOsMG wherein R represents an alkyl group having 8-22 carbon atoms, Me represents an alkali metal, particularly Na, K and Li, and n is an integer of 1 to 40, and (B) one or more water-soluble inorganic compounds.

The compounds (A) having the above Formula 1 are most excellent in their solubilizing effect and detergency.

As the water-soluble inorganic compounds mentioned above, there may be used any compound which has a neutral or an alkaline property in an aqueous solution, such as sodium chloride, sodium nitrate, sodium carbonate, sodium silicate, sodium orthophosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium hydroxide, sodium chlorite, sodium chlorate, sodium hypochlorite, sodium bromide, sodium sulfite, sodium metaborate, sodium sulfate or potassium pyrophosphate. An acidic compound is not desirable, since, in the presence of the same, a compound of the above general Formula 1 may be hydrolyzed.

In the following description, all references to percent refer to percent by weight.

In a liquid detergent composition according to the present invention, the concentration of the surfactant having theabove general Formula 1 is (11-80%, preferably 1-20%. Further, the operable concentration of the water-soluble inorganic compound depends on the kind thereof, but its concentration is generally 1-60%, preferably 5-4( but the concentration thereof should be below the limit of its solubility in water.

The composition of the present invention may include, if desired or necessary, anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants or amphoteric surfactants, such as alkylbenzene- TABLE 1 We tar-soluble inorganic compounds SurlactantCompound of general formula 1 Concen- Carbon Amount tration number added State of (percent) of R Integer n Me (percent) solution 20 9 4 Na 5 Transparent. 10 8 8 Na 20 Do. 5 12 10 Na 5 Do. 10 9 20 Na 6 Do. 20 8 6 Na 8 Do. 6 9 4 Na 10 D0. 30 9 5 Na 10 Do. 30 12 8 K 26 Do. 20 9 4 Na 5 Do. 10 9 4 Na 3 Do. 20 Sodium dodecylbenzenesullonate 1 Separated.

6 Sodium lauryl sulfate 2 Do. 6 Sodium lauryl sulfate 1 Do.

( f -0 (CH1CH;O)SOrNa NaCl 5 Sodium lauryl sulfate 1 Do.

Balance-water sulfonates, higher alcohol sulfates, fatty acid salts, alkylsulfonates and also perfumes, dyes, pigments, sodium nitriloacetate, sodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate, etc. The balance of the composition is water.

The effects obtainable by the present invention will be shown below by way of examples.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Example 1 Various surfactants as listed in Table 1 were added to aqueous solutions of various water-soluble inorganic compounds (at C.) and, directly thereafter, the states of the solutions were observed. The results were as shownin Table 1.

As shown in the preceding table, compounds of the general Formula 1 of the present invention are dissolved in concentrated aqueous solutions of various water-soluble inorganic compounds to produce transparent solutions, whereas separation is observed when the other anionic surfactants are used.

EXAMPLE 2 Formulation: Percent Sodium metasilicate l NaOI-I 5 C Hn -O-(CH1CH:O);SO:N8 2

SOQNQ Water Balance The liquid detergent composition of the above formulation is transparent and undergoes no change in quality after storage for one year at 5 C. and it is suitable for cleaning a solid surface.

EXAMPLE 3 Formulation: Percent NaOCl 6 NaCl 5 NaOl-I 1 CI2H25 -O-(CHrCHzO)sSOsN8 3 S0,Na

Water Balance The product of the above composition is a penetrating bleaching agent in the form of a transparent yellow liquid. Storage of the product for 3 months at 5 C. caused neither turbidity nor the formation of a precipitate.

The available chlorine after storage for one year at 20 C. was 4.5%. On the other hand, the available chlorine of a product of the same composition but not containing the surfactant, tested simultaneously, was 4.6%.

Accordingly, this product is suitable as a bacteriocidal detergent for diapers.

EXAM PLE 4 Formulation: Percent N 32803 10 C lig- O(CHzCHzO)sSOzNa 10 S O :Na

Water Balance A product of the above composition is a transparent liquid suitable as a reductive bleaching detergent.

Storage for 6 months at 5 C. of these compositions caused no precipitation in the composition A which remained transparent, but separation was observed in the composition B.

The detergency of both of these compositions were determined under the following conditions.

Test conditions Soiled cloth: Soiled cloth having a reflectivity of 301-2% (MgO) was prepared with stains of the following components- Beef tallow 1%. Liquid parafiin 3%. Carbon 0.6%. Carbon tetrachloride Balance.

Testing machine: Terg-OMeter Method of Washing:

Water hardness 4 DI-I (Ca/Mg=3/1). Washing temperature 15 C., 30 C. Rotation -100 r.p.m. Washing time 10 mins. Rinsing Twice, each 5 mins. Bath ratio 1:30.

Determination of detergency:

R.. R. D- R0 R. X 100% R,,: Reflectivity of the soiled cloth after washing R Reflectivity of the soiled cloth before washing R Reflectivity of the original white cloth The tests were carried out with 6 sheets of soiled cloths and the mean detergency value was obtained from four values excluding the highest and the lowest values.

The results of the determination of detergency were as shown in the following table.

15 C. 30 C. Concentration of Composi- Composi- Composi- Composidetergent, percent tion A on tion A tion B The embodiments of the invention in which an exclulsive property or privilege is claimed are defined as folows:

1. A transparent liquid detergent composition consistmg essentially of an aqueous solution of (A) from 0.1 to by weight of a surfactant of the formula:

A- O(CHICHZO)nBOZMQ SOzMO wherein R represents an alkyl group having 8-22 carbon atoms, Me represents an alkali metal and n is an integer of 1 to 40, and (B) from 1.0 to 60% by weight of at least one water-soluble inorganic compound selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, sodium nitrate, sodium carbonate, sodium silicate, sodium orthophos hate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium hydroxide, sodium bromide, sodium sulfate, sodium metaborate and poi =ssium pyrophosphate.

15. The liquid detergent composition as claimed in claim '1, wherein the concentration of said surfactant is 1 to 20% by weight andthe concentration of said water-soluble inorganic compound is 5 to 40% by weight.

3. A transparent liquid detergent composition consisting essentially of an aqueous solution of (A) from 0.1 to 80% by weight of a surfactant of the formula:

ICHIO)n OZ 9 wherein R represents an alkyl group having 8-22 carbon atoms, Me represents an alkali metal and n is an integer of 40gn'gl, and (B) from 1.0 to 60% by weight of at least one water-soluble inorganic compound selected from the group consisting of sodium chlorite, sodium 20 chlorate, sodium sulfite and sodium hypochlorite.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Gilbert et al.: Sulfation with Sulfur Trioxide, article in Journal of American Oil Chemists Society, vol. 37,

HERBERT B. GUYNN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

252-99, 532, 534, 546, 551, 553, Dig. 14 

